


Melting Point

by paranomastic



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2015-08-17
Packaged: 2018-04-15 05:19:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4594323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paranomastic/pseuds/paranomastic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coco Adel has a problem she has no idea what to do about. This is new, y'know, for her. But as team leader, the responsibility of solving it falls on her shoulders.</p>
<p>Man, and she always thought she'd be cool about this if it happened, too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Melting Point

People had tried to ask Coco Adel out before, stuttering confessions in the lunchroom or overconfident swaggering meatheads in the gym. The former she let down easy with cold “no”s, the latter she let down less easy with harsh physical violence. “If his Aura can’t take that, it couldn’t take me,” she would explain as she walked away from their crumpled forms, team trailing behind her. Romance was just something Coco Adel had no real need for. She felt bad for some of her would-be suitors, sure, but she was not cruel enough to offer pity dates. So she did not date.

Then one day Velvet, her own teammate, moved her hair _just right_ and Coco realized all at once in a crashing deluge of dread that she had probably been in love with her for the entirety of the last two years. _Oh no_.

Multiple thoughts ran through her head:

_Yatsuhashi is going to mutiny and brutally murder me._

_Fox is never going to let this go._

_I have insisted time and time again that a relationship with me would be bed and bonebreaking the idea probably terrifies her._

_There’s a terrible “screwing like rabbits” joke in here somewhere._

_I have been quietly staring at Velvet Scarlatina for several seconds too long now._

Coco cleared her throat, “Good, uh. Good job, Velvet.”

“… thank you?” Velvet glanced around, “Is there a way to do a bad job walking to class?”

Coco’s stomach dropped and she felt sweat threatening to break out. Was she dying? This felt like it could be dying. Being dead might be better than being in love, admittedly.

“Is something on your mind?” Yatsuhashi asked, tilting his head.

_Velvet’s face, apparently._ “Just distracted.” Coco let out what she hoped was a slight smile at the air right next to Velvet’s head, because looking at the girl suddenly caused her breath to skip and took all the cool out of her. And Coco Adel had spent many years building up her stockpile of cool.

“No problem,” Velvet smiled at Coco, and the world suddenly did a pirouette. Dust, this was awful. The absolute, _absolute_ worst.

Coco nodded, and contemplated shriveling up and dying instead of finishing the walk to class. 

No, okay, she had to think. This was a clear and present threat – and that was not a joke, either. In-team relationships threatened the entire group dynamic, especially if they ever went south, but she also had no use for a schoolgirl crush on the battlefield. Even one that had apparently been festering somewhere inside her since the team had started. She was the leader, she needed a plan of action.

At the end of Port’s class, which she had found herself entirely unable to pay any attention to, Coco had no idea what to do. She may or may not have been distracted several times by the back of Velvet’s _head_ in front of her. No comment.

Before Coco knew it, they were in the cafeteria eating dinner. She was pretty sure no evidence too damning had been produced in the time in between? She was also, however, trying to hide a crush from three trained combatants. Coco was good at masking her feelings, yes, but this was a tall order by any count. Particularly hiding things from Fox, who probably knew Coco better than her own parents (not that that was particularly difficult). In fact, he probably knew already. He probably knew before she did and had just not said anything because he wanted to be polite. Bastard.

Even the way Velvet was eating was overwhelming, good lord, how pathetic could this _be_? “I…” Coco stood up, awkwardly bumping into her tray on the way up, “I have to go. Do stuff.”

“Are you sure?” Velvet asked, looking up from her meal.

_Dust knows I don’t want to, but…_ “Yeah. Meet you all back at the room.” She tried very hard to ignore how eye contact with Velvet had made her actually blush, and hoped no one else had noticed it either the whole walk out of the hall.

It was not long after she had left the hall that a hand she immediately recognized as Fox’s hooked into her elbow, “We’re talking about this.”

“We don’t need to talk about this!” Her voice almost squeaked, wow. She was surprising even herself with how pathetic she could get.

“We’re talking about this.”

Before she knew it Fox had guided her far into the library, driving out two first-year girls with their urgency alone, which Coco did feel pretty bad about. They looked like they were on a date! Unless holding hands was just a thing friends did now.

Man, she wished she could be on a date right now. And if that girl who literally wore a cape to class could get one, surely she could as well. Right? But that would mean, unfortunately, actually getting over this whatever-it-was.

“Something’s wrong.” It was a statement, as were most things Fox said. Not the questioning type.

“Nothing’s wrong, Fox. I am _fine_.”

No response, just an even gaze. Completely insufferable. Also her best friend, but completely insufferable. As best friends probably should be.

Coco sighed. Fessing up would be faster, “I… might have a problem.”

Still no response. So she was the one who would have to bring the issue forward.

“I might be in love.” She rubbed her temples, “Maybe.”

“Then tell them.”

“It’s _Velvet_ , Fox.” Coco sighed, “I think I’ve been in love with Velvet Scarlatina since I met her. And I just realized today.”

“Then tell her.”

“Wow, great idea, Fox, wish I’d thought of it, but Yatsuhashi-“

“Tell her.” Ever the wordsmith, Fox.

Coco sighed, “Look, I know you’re not great at the emotions thing, but trust me, that’s a bad idea.”

“Yatsuhashi won’t argue with you.”

“She’ll think I need to be, y’know, aggressive in a relationship.” Coco sighed, “Y’know, with the comments about punching and whatever?”

“Please don’t punch Velvet.”

“I’m not going to punch-“

“Then just tell her in a way that isn’t aggressive.” Fox even smiled, which simultaneously motivated and terrified her, “Make it clear it’s a choice and that you can negotiate. She doesn’t exactly get that a lot from you.”

Coco paused in thought. That was actually some solid advice, even she had to admit. Getting rid of the swooning situation, for better or for worse, was necessary, not just for her but for everyone. If Velvet said no, then her asking and facing the music of rejection was just taking one for Team CFVY. And there was plenty more than a little shame Coco was willing to give for her team.

“And if you don’t tell her tonight, I will.” Fox turned and left Coco standing nervous in the shelves, sauntering away.

She could do this. She could do this. Two hours later before bed Coco was still stuck trying to convince herself that she could do this by repeating to herself that she could.

Velvet walked up to her while she was brushing her teeth, and Coco almost shoved the damn thing through her cheek. “Hey, Coco?”

“Mmhm?” Her mouth was full of toothpaste gunk, it was a valid answer.

“Are… you mad at me?” her ears drooped a little as she turned to stare at the water running in the sink basin, “You’ve been looking at me weird all day.”

Coco spat, then rinsed out the toothbrush. “Can I ask you a question, Velvet?” Her voice was not wavering, at least, but she still had to avoid eye contact. The sink was as good a distraction from that as anything.

“Of course.”

Coco swallowed, which was a mistake given the toothpaste, but pressed forward. “This isn’t an order. So we’re clear.”

“Alright.” Velvet looked… skeptical? That was about what Coco could surmise.

A moment of pause before she threw herself into the Nevermore talons of inevitable rejection, “I’m in love with you.”

“You’re _what_?”

She could have gone less aggressive, yes, but that would have been dishonest. “I’m in love with you and want to take you out sometime.”

“You’re… in love with me.”

“Yes.”

“And you want to take me on a date.”

“Also yes.” There was a pause. _Just say no, Velvet, just let me die in peace._

Velvet giggled, “I guess you really don’t do anything by halves, do you?”

“You know me.” What did this _mean_ why was Velvet now deciding out of the blue to be so hard to read?

“Yatsuhashi didn’t put you up to this?”

No? Why would he have- wait, did that mean? She at least remembered to shake her head.

Velvet let out a small laugh, delicate and nervous, and Coco noted that there were actual tears in her eyes. “Where do you want to go?”

“Oh thank Dust,” Coco felt a few seconds away from collapsing, “Wherever you want.”

“I know a place.” Velvet wiped tears from her eye, sniffing, “I’m free tomorrow, if you want.”

Coco nodded, “I can be, too.”

“Great! Great.” Velvet looked around, “Now I sort of… need the restroom?” She held up her own toothbrush for emphasis.

“Right!” Coco nodded, walking around her so that their positions effectively exchanged, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Coco. Love you.”

A single soft beat of a laugh escaped Coco. “Love you too.”


End file.
